Dr. Robert Fithen’s professional journey is a testament to his diverse expertise and relentless pursuit of knowledge. Currently serving as the Portfolio Manager and Owner at 5thN Financial, LLC since 2017, he has established himself as a licensed financial advisor with a specialization in machine learning-based predictive portfolio methodologies.
In this role, Dr. Fithen has achieved significant milestones, including obtaining state licensure as a financial advisor through the successful completion of the Uniform Securities Law Exam, Series 65. He has developed a cutting-edge Advanced-Modern Portfolio Theory, expanding upon the traditional Modern Portfolio Theory. Additionally, his continuous efforts in research involve creating financial indices and portfolios based on market classification and tracking.
Managing and maintaining the technological infrastructure is another facet of Dr. Fithen’s responsibilities. He oversees the Proxmox Server for virtualization and stack development, ensuring the robustness of the systems. Docker Stacks for web services, associated with 5thN Financial, LLC, are also under his vigilant management.
In the academic realm, Dr. Fithen has been an Associate Professor in Engineering at Arkansas Tech University since 1998. His tenure has seen the development of a robust research program in Statistical Machine Learning & Monte Carlo Methods, with notable achievements in securing Air Force funding for magneto-hydrodynamic and aero-elastic solvers. Additionally, he obtained an NSF grant to develop a virtual lab setting for fluid dynamics experiments.
Throughout his academic career, Dr. Fithen has demonstrated his commitment to education. Serving as a Program-Education-Training Leader at the University of Texas in 1998, he played a crucial role in assisting, educating, and training government employees at Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, MS.
Prior to his current roles, Dr. Fithen garnered extensive experience in various positions. As a Software Engineer and Owner at 5thN Inc. from 2005 to 2009, he contributed to the development of a 3-D Structural Finite Element Software Package. His expertise extends to computational fluid dynamics, as evidenced by his research at Wright Patterson Air Force Base on fluid structure interactions and magneto-hydrodynamics during the summers of 2000 and 1999, respectively.
Dr. Fithen’s educational journey is marked by academic excellence. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech University in 1993, specializing in adaptive finite element simulation of incompressible viscous flows. His master’s thesis at Texas A&M University focused on finite element analysis of conjugate heat transfer in axisymmetric pipe flows.
In addition to his formal education, Dr. Fithen has pursued continuous education, enhancing his skills in machine learning, probability graphics methods, and computational finance through courses at Stanford University, University of Washington, and Yale University.
This narrative provides a glimpse into the multifaceted career of Dr. Robert Fithen, a dedicated professional, researcher, and educator whose contributions span the intersection of finance, technology, and academia.